Tim Lomas
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780262037488
- eISBN:
- 9780262344630
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262037488.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This book presents an innovative new approach to the study of wellbeing, intersecting psychology, linguistics, and cross-cultural scholarship. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of ...
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This book presents an innovative new approach to the study of wellbeing, intersecting psychology, linguistics, and cross-cultural scholarship. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of language, proposing that words enable us to map our world, and thus to understand and navigate our lives. However, different cultures map the world in different ways, generating so-called untranslatable words (i.e., which lack an equivalent in another language – in this case, English). Their significance is that they point to aspects of life that have hitherto been overlooked or undervalued in English-speaking cultures. By exploring such words, we can therefore refine our maps, developing a more nuanced appreciation of the world. This book deploys this process with respect to wellbeing specifically, bringing its hidden dimensions to light. Moreover, it argues that this process may not only enhance our understanding of wellbeing, but also our experience of it, empowering us to identify phenomena that had previously been only dimly perceived, and even to discover new dimensions of existence we had not realised were there. These possibilities are brought to life through a tour of 400 or so words, sourced from nearly 80 languages. These terms are analysed thematically, arranged into three overarching meta-categories – feelings, relationships, and personal development – which together constitute a comprehensive new theory of wellbeing. The book concludes by outlining an ambitious research agenda that will fully allow the promise of these untranslatable words, and the theory outlined here, to be realised.Less
This book presents an innovative new approach to the study of wellbeing, intersecting psychology, linguistics, and cross-cultural scholarship. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of language, proposing that words enable us to map our world, and thus to understand and navigate our lives. However, different cultures map the world in different ways, generating so-called untranslatable words (i.e., which lack an equivalent in another language – in this case, English). Their significance is that they point to aspects of life that have hitherto been overlooked or undervalued in English-speaking cultures. By exploring such words, we can therefore refine our maps, developing a more nuanced appreciation of the world. This book deploys this process with respect to wellbeing specifically, bringing its hidden dimensions to light. Moreover, it argues that this process may not only enhance our understanding of wellbeing, but also our experience of it, empowering us to identify phenomena that had previously been only dimly perceived, and even to discover new dimensions of existence we had not realised were there. These possibilities are brought to life through a tour of 400 or so words, sourced from nearly 80 languages. These terms are analysed thematically, arranged into three overarching meta-categories – feelings, relationships, and personal development – which together constitute a comprehensive new theory of wellbeing. The book concludes by outlining an ambitious research agenda that will fully allow the promise of these untranslatable words, and the theory outlined here, to be realised.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
If the Global Finance Crisis has taught us anything, it’s that economics as we know it is not working. If global warming means anything, it’s that we have to rethink how we live on this shared ...
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If the Global Finance Crisis has taught us anything, it’s that economics as we know it is not working. If global warming means anything, it’s that we have to rethink how we live on this shared planet. Take Back the Economy is about making the economy work for people and the planet. It is intended for academic researchers, activists, students, community members and citizens interested in how they can contribute to a more just, sustainable and equitable world. The book reframes the idea that the economy is a thing, separate from us and best understood by experts. The economy is presented as a human creation and therefore open to ethical intervention and political imagination. This book explores the actions that people are taking to build ethical economies, and it presents these actions in terms of shared ethical concerns. What’s necessary for human survival? What do we do with the extra or surplus that’s produced over and above what we need to survive? What relationships do we have with other people and with the environments that help to satisfy our needs? What do we use up and consume in the process of satisfying our needs? How do we maintain and replenish the gifts of nature and intellect that all humans rely on? How can we invest in a future worth living in? There are no easy answers to these questions, but across the globe people are responding in novel ways that take into account people and planetary wellbeing. Take Back the Economy features these novel responses and it introduces a series of tools that readers can use to explore the ethical thinking that underpins the responses. It shows readers how they can take back the economy from where they are and using what they have at hand.Less
If the Global Finance Crisis has taught us anything, it’s that economics as we know it is not working. If global warming means anything, it’s that we have to rethink how we live on this shared planet. Take Back the Economy is about making the economy work for people and the planet. It is intended for academic researchers, activists, students, community members and citizens interested in how they can contribute to a more just, sustainable and equitable world. The book reframes the idea that the economy is a thing, separate from us and best understood by experts. The economy is presented as a human creation and therefore open to ethical intervention and political imagination. This book explores the actions that people are taking to build ethical economies, and it presents these actions in terms of shared ethical concerns. What’s necessary for human survival? What do we do with the extra or surplus that’s produced over and above what we need to survive? What relationships do we have with other people and with the environments that help to satisfy our needs? What do we use up and consume in the process of satisfying our needs? How do we maintain and replenish the gifts of nature and intellect that all humans rely on? How can we invest in a future worth living in? There are no easy answers to these questions, but across the globe people are responding in novel ways that take into account people and planetary wellbeing. Take Back the Economy features these novel responses and it introduces a series of tools that readers can use to explore the ethical thinking that underpins the responses. It shows readers how they can take back the economy from where they are and using what they have at hand.
Robert A. Cummins and Anna L.D. Lau
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861348449
- eISBN:
- 9781447303459
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861348449.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Research and Statistics
This chapter focuses on the relevance of SWB as a possible policy goal, and examines issues of measurement. It reviews and critiques different measures of health and well-being and explains the ...
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This chapter focuses on the relevance of SWB as a possible policy goal, and examines issues of measurement. It reviews and critiques different measures of health and well-being and explains the relevance of a measure of SWB for social policy. It describes how the concepts of mental health and quality of life have evolved within medicine and the social sciences. It then offers a critique of two of the most commonly used measures, Quality Adjusted Life Years and Health-related Quality of Life. It goes on to describe the concept of SWB and its measurement, drawing on the work as part of the International Wellbeing Group in developing the ‘Personal Wellbeing Index’. It explores the relevance of SWB measurement for social policy and argues that the development of new measures can inform policy decisions by providing comparable data about perceived quality of life across different groups in the population and between different communities.Less
This chapter focuses on the relevance of SWB as a possible policy goal, and examines issues of measurement. It reviews and critiques different measures of health and well-being and explains the relevance of a measure of SWB for social policy. It describes how the concepts of mental health and quality of life have evolved within medicine and the social sciences. It then offers a critique of two of the most commonly used measures, Quality Adjusted Life Years and Health-related Quality of Life. It goes on to describe the concept of SWB and its measurement, drawing on the work as part of the International Wellbeing Group in developing the ‘Personal Wellbeing Index’. It explores the relevance of SWB measurement for social policy and argues that the development of new measures can inform policy decisions by providing comparable data about perceived quality of life across different groups in the population and between different communities.
Jonathan Bradshaw
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428370
- eISBN:
- 9781447304005
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428370.003.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families
This book is an attempt to establish how British children are doing. Of course, there is already a great deal of material available on children's well-being in the UK, and it specifically draws on it ...
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This book is an attempt to establish how British children are doing. Of course, there is already a great deal of material available on children's well-being in the UK, and it specifically draws on it in this volume. However, the objective of this book is to bring the evidence together in one place, in a critical discursive review, which has not been carried out elsewhere. The aims of Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre are presented. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was the pioneer of well-being indices. The comparative studies of child well-being have found an association between spending on children and child outcomes. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data on spending on families with children indicates that since 1990 it has been increasing in most countries, including the UK. An overview of the chapters included in this book is provided.Less
This book is an attempt to establish how British children are doing. Of course, there is already a great deal of material available on children's well-being in the UK, and it specifically draws on it in this volume. However, the objective of this book is to bring the evidence together in one place, in a critical discursive review, which has not been carried out elsewhere. The aims of Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre are presented. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was the pioneer of well-being indices. The comparative studies of child well-being have found an association between spending on children and child outcomes. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data on spending on families with children indicates that since 1990 it has been increasing in most countries, including the UK. An overview of the chapters included in this book is provided.
Jonathan Bradshaw
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428370
- eISBN:
- 9781447304005
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428370.003.0013
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families
This chapter brings together the findings and attempts to develop an index of child well-being for the UK. In particular, it tries to answer the question, was Ed Balls right? It also presents a ...
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This chapter brings together the findings and attempts to develop an index of child well-being for the UK. In particular, it tries to answer the question, was Ed Balls right? It also presents a summary of comparative evidence that has been drawn on throughout this book. The financial crisis in the UK began with the housing market in the US, where it was found that British banks had invested heavily in sub-prime housing loans. The Labour government's response to the developing recession was radically anti-cyclical. Under this government, there were no substantial cuts in benefits and services — in fact expenditure had been sustained, while revenue had fallen. It is shown that there is a best hope in the newly established Child Wellbeing Research Centre, although it is responsible only for English children and has a time-limited contract.Less
This chapter brings together the findings and attempts to develop an index of child well-being for the UK. In particular, it tries to answer the question, was Ed Balls right? It also presents a summary of comparative evidence that has been drawn on throughout this book. The financial crisis in the UK began with the housing market in the US, where it was found that British banks had invested heavily in sub-prime housing loans. The Labour government's response to the developing recession was radically anti-cyclical. Under this government, there were no substantial cuts in benefits and services — in fact expenditure had been sustained, while revenue had fallen. It is shown that there is a best hope in the newly established Child Wellbeing Research Centre, although it is responsible only for English children and has a time-limited contract.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
Instead of presenting the economy as a machine-like entity, this chapter reframes the economy as the outcome of everyday human actions. Using examples from New York and northern India it shows how ...
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Instead of presenting the economy as a machine-like entity, this chapter reframes the economy as the outcome of everyday human actions. Using examples from New York and northern India it shows how people are recreating economies through their actions, and it discusses the ethical choices that are guiding these actions.Less
Instead of presenting the economy as a machine-like entity, this chapter reframes the economy as the outcome of everyday human actions. Using examples from New York and northern India it shows how people are recreating economies through their actions, and it discusses the ethical choices that are guiding these actions.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter explores different ways of working. It shows how an over-emphasis on paid work and consumption is undermining people and planetary wellbeing. Using examples from the minority and ...
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This chapter explores different ways of working. It shows how an over-emphasis on paid work and consumption is undermining people and planetary wellbeing. Using examples from the minority and majority worlds the chapter shows how people are using diverse forms of work to generate wellbeing.Less
This chapter explores different ways of working. It shows how an over-emphasis on paid work and consumption is undermining people and planetary wellbeing. Using examples from the minority and majority worlds the chapter shows how people are using diverse forms of work to generate wellbeing.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter explores different types of businesses. It shows how the surplus generated by businesses (whether capitalist, cooperative or community-oriented) can be directed towards people and ...
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This chapter explores different types of businesses. It shows how the surplus generated by businesses (whether capitalist, cooperative or community-oriented) can be directed towards people and planetary wellbeing. And it shows how a variety of people can play in role in making decisions about the uses of surplus.Less
This chapter explores different types of businesses. It shows how the surplus generated by businesses (whether capitalist, cooperative or community-oriented) can be directed towards people and planetary wellbeing. And it shows how a variety of people can play in role in making decisions about the uses of surplus.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter explores the variety of ways that people secure the goods and services they need to survive. It shows how markets are being reshaped to address the wellbeing of producers and ...
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This chapter explores the variety of ways that people secure the goods and services they need to survive. It shows how markets are being reshaped to address the wellbeing of producers and environments across the globe, and it shows how alternative markets closer to home are also addressing similar concerns.Less
This chapter explores the variety of ways that people secure the goods and services they need to survive. It shows how markets are being reshaped to address the wellbeing of producers and environments across the globe, and it shows how alternative markets closer to home are also addressing similar concerns.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter explores the ways that different types of property are being transformed into commons that provide for people and planetary wellbeing. It shows how relations of care and responsibility ...
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This chapter explores the ways that different types of property are being transformed into commons that provide for people and planetary wellbeing. It shows how relations of care and responsibility are being applied to biophysical, social, cultural and knowledge resources so that access, use and benefit is widely distributed.Less
This chapter explores the ways that different types of property are being transformed into commons that provide for people and planetary wellbeing. It shows how relations of care and responsibility are being applied to biophysical, social, cultural and knowledge resources so that access, use and benefit is widely distributed.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter explores the ways that monetary and non-monetary forms of investment can generate widespread wellbeing. It shows how wealth, broadly defined, can be stored, safeguarded and directed in ...
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This chapter explores the ways that monetary and non-monetary forms of investment can generate widespread wellbeing. It shows how wealth, broadly defined, can be stored, safeguarded and directed in ways that might benefit people and the planet now and into the future.Less
This chapter explores the ways that monetary and non-monetary forms of investment can generate widespread wellbeing. It shows how wealth, broadly defined, can be stored, safeguarded and directed in ways that might benefit people and the planet now and into the future.
J. K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816676064
- eISBN:
- 9781452946993
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816676064.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
The conclusion turns to the things that stand in the way of taking back the economy–any time, any place. And it explores how nature might offer inspiration for living with one another equitably, ...
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The conclusion turns to the things that stand in the way of taking back the economy–any time, any place. And it explores how nature might offer inspiration for living with one another equitably, ethically and within earthly bounds.Less
The conclusion turns to the things that stand in the way of taking back the economy–any time, any place. And it explores how nature might offer inspiration for living with one another equitably, ethically and within earthly bounds.
Darryl Jones
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781501710780
- eISBN:
- 9781501710797
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501710780.003.0009
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Nature
The popularity of bird feeding continuous to grow, enabling large numbers of people to see and enjoy the present of wild creatures in the own gardens. Such intimate encounters may represent a ...
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The popularity of bird feeding continuous to grow, enabling large numbers of people to see and enjoy the present of wild creatures in the own gardens. Such intimate encounters may represent a profoundly important way for an increasingly urbanized global population to connect with nature, with many possible benefits for human wellbeing. The book concludes that wild bird feeding is fundamentally for people.Less
The popularity of bird feeding continuous to grow, enabling large numbers of people to see and enjoy the present of wild creatures in the own gardens. Such intimate encounters may represent a profoundly important way for an increasingly urbanized global population to connect with nature, with many possible benefits for human wellbeing. The book concludes that wild bird feeding is fundamentally for people.
David J. Hunter and Neil Perkins
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781447301325
- eISBN:
- 9781447311942
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447301325.003.0006
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Chapter 6 describes the changing context for partnership working in public health following the UK coalition government’s plans for returning lead responsibility for public health in England to local ...
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Chapter 6 describes the changing context for partnership working in public health following the UK coalition government’s plans for returning lead responsibility for public health in England to local government while also creating a new agency, Public Health England, to provide support and national system leadership. The changes, contained in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and introduced in April 2013, reinforce the importance of partnership working while introducing new partnership forms that are yet to be tested and evaluated. The new health policy landscape is described and an interim assessment of progress provided.Less
Chapter 6 describes the changing context for partnership working in public health following the UK coalition government’s plans for returning lead responsibility for public health in England to local government while also creating a new agency, Public Health England, to provide support and national system leadership. The changes, contained in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and introduced in April 2013, reinforce the importance of partnership working while introducing new partnership forms that are yet to be tested and evaluated. The new health policy landscape is described and an interim assessment of progress provided.
Tim Lomas
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780262037488
- eISBN:
- 9780262344630
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262037488.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter sets out the theoretical foundations of the book. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of language, suggesting that words enable us to map our world. However, drawing on the ...
More
This chapter sets out the theoretical foundations of the book. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of language, suggesting that words enable us to map our world. However, drawing on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, it argues that cultures map the world in different ways – influencing how people experience and understand the world – as revealed most starkly by untranslatable words. The chapter argues that engaging with such words can be very useful – for academia and for people in general – as they can help us to refine our maps, facilitating a more nuanced and detailed appraisal of life. It concludes by introducing the research project upon which the book is based, Tim Lomas’ evolving ‘positive cross-cultural lexicography’ of untranslatable words pertaining to wellbeing. In doing so, the chapter explains the analytic process that constitutes the substance of the book, and introduces the resulting theoretical framework of wellbeing, featuring three basic dimensions: feelings, relationships, and personal development. These dimensions – which respectively represent the main ways in which wellbeing is experienced, influenced, and cultivated – are then explored in turn over the next three chapters.Less
This chapter sets out the theoretical foundations of the book. It begins by introducing a cartographic theory of language, suggesting that words enable us to map our world. However, drawing on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, it argues that cultures map the world in different ways – influencing how people experience and understand the world – as revealed most starkly by untranslatable words. The chapter argues that engaging with such words can be very useful – for academia and for people in general – as they can help us to refine our maps, facilitating a more nuanced and detailed appraisal of life. It concludes by introducing the research project upon which the book is based, Tim Lomas’ evolving ‘positive cross-cultural lexicography’ of untranslatable words pertaining to wellbeing. In doing so, the chapter explains the analytic process that constitutes the substance of the book, and introduces the resulting theoretical framework of wellbeing, featuring three basic dimensions: feelings, relationships, and personal development. These dimensions – which respectively represent the main ways in which wellbeing is experienced, influenced, and cultivated – are then explored in turn over the next three chapters.
Anna Coleman, Surindar Dhesi, and Stephen Peckham
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781447330226
- eISBN:
- 9781447330271
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447330226.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) emerged from debates about the Health and Social Care Bill (2011) as a key coordinating mechanism or steward for local health and social care systems. For many this ...
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Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) emerged from debates about the Health and Social Care Bill (2011) as a key coordinating mechanism or steward for local health and social care systems. For many this is yet a further attempt to improve coordination between health and social care services which historically has been a mixed experience. The rationale for HWBs, however, includes a broader coordinating function across local authority services with a role in addressing the wider social determinants of health such as housing, education and planning, as well as social care. This chapter examines the development of HWBs and draws on the findings of studies conducted by the authors and considers whether or not HWBs are emerging as system stewards. By this the authors mean HWBs acting at a strategic level to coordinate and set the direction of health and social care developments at the local level, as well as encouraging integrated working.Less
Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) emerged from debates about the Health and Social Care Bill (2011) as a key coordinating mechanism or steward for local health and social care systems. For many this is yet a further attempt to improve coordination between health and social care services which historically has been a mixed experience. The rationale for HWBs, however, includes a broader coordinating function across local authority services with a role in addressing the wider social determinants of health such as housing, education and planning, as well as social care. This chapter examines the development of HWBs and draws on the findings of studies conducted by the authors and considers whether or not HWBs are emerging as system stewards. By this the authors mean HWBs acting at a strategic level to coordinate and set the direction of health and social care developments at the local level, as well as encouraging integrated working.
Dave Beck and Rod Purcell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781847429773
- eISBN:
- 9781447310884
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847429773.003.0002
- Subject:
- Social Work, Communities and Organizations
The chapter explores the relevance of community organising in the present globalised world. To do so the chapter defines current development issues and goals, and considers: asset building, capacity ...
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The chapter explores the relevance of community organising in the present globalised world. To do so the chapter defines current development issues and goals, and considers: asset building, capacity building, capability, social capital creation, human needs, quality of life, wellbeing and happiness, sustainability and empowermentLess
The chapter explores the relevance of community organising in the present globalised world. To do so the chapter defines current development issues and goals, and considers: asset building, capacity building, capability, social capital creation, human needs, quality of life, wellbeing and happiness, sustainability and empowerment
Anne Case, Angus Deaton, and David M. Cutler
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780226426679
- eISBN:
- 9780226426709
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226426709.003.0011
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
Suicide rates, life evaluation, and measures of affect are all plausible measures of the mental health and wellbeing of populations. Yet in the settings we examine, correlations between suicide and ...
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Suicide rates, life evaluation, and measures of affect are all plausible measures of the mental health and wellbeing of populations. Yet in the settings we examine, correlations between suicide and measured wellbeing are at best inconsistent. Differences in suicides between men and women, between Hispanics, blacks, and whites, between age groups for men, between countries or US states, between calendar years, and between days of the week, do not match differences in life evaluation. By contrast, reports of physical pain are strongly predictive of suicide in many contexts. The prevalence of pain is increasing among middle-aged Americans, and is accompanied by a substantial increase in suicides and deaths from drug and alcohol poisoning. Our measure of pain is now highest in middle age—when life evaluation and positive affect are at a minimum. In the absence of the pain epidemic, suicide and life evaluation are likely unrelated, leaving unresolved whether either one is a useful overall measure of population wellbeing.Less
Suicide rates, life evaluation, and measures of affect are all plausible measures of the mental health and wellbeing of populations. Yet in the settings we examine, correlations between suicide and measured wellbeing are at best inconsistent. Differences in suicides between men and women, between Hispanics, blacks, and whites, between age groups for men, between countries or US states, between calendar years, and between days of the week, do not match differences in life evaluation. By contrast, reports of physical pain are strongly predictive of suicide in many contexts. The prevalence of pain is increasing among middle-aged Americans, and is accompanied by a substantial increase in suicides and deaths from drug and alcohol poisoning. Our measure of pain is now highest in middle age—when life evaluation and positive affect are at a minimum. In the absence of the pain epidemic, suicide and life evaluation are likely unrelated, leaving unresolved whether either one is a useful overall measure of population wellbeing.
Lindsey Baker and Merril Silverstein
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781847429681
- eISBN:
- 9781447307624
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847429681.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
The intensity and style of care for grandchildren, as well as the precipitating conditions of grandparental involvement vary substantially across countries and regions of the world. Grandparents in ...
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The intensity and style of care for grandchildren, as well as the precipitating conditions of grandparental involvement vary substantially across countries and regions of the world. Grandparents in rural China tend to experience relatively more favourable family circumstances and have greater access to resources upon assuming the custodial grandparenting role when compared to their American counterparts, factors that appear to contribute to enhanced psychological well-being among Chinese grandparents in skipped-generation households. This finding highlights how family systems adapt to the societal demands imposed on them, with US grandparents more likely to intervene in reaction to a crisis in the middle generation such as neglect or abuse (‘child savers’), and rural Chinese grandparents more likely to be involved in pursuit of a larger economic goal such as the increased economic productivity of a migrant son (‘family maximizers’). Without Chinese grandparents being full-time carers for their grandchildren, migration certainly would be more difficult and perhaps impossible for many parents of young children in search of better employment opportunities, leading us to the conclusion that grandparents are the ‘unsung heroes’ of China's rapid economic expansion.Less
The intensity and style of care for grandchildren, as well as the precipitating conditions of grandparental involvement vary substantially across countries and regions of the world. Grandparents in rural China tend to experience relatively more favourable family circumstances and have greater access to resources upon assuming the custodial grandparenting role when compared to their American counterparts, factors that appear to contribute to enhanced psychological well-being among Chinese grandparents in skipped-generation households. This finding highlights how family systems adapt to the societal demands imposed on them, with US grandparents more likely to intervene in reaction to a crisis in the middle generation such as neglect or abuse (‘child savers’), and rural Chinese grandparents more likely to be involved in pursuit of a larger economic goal such as the increased economic productivity of a migrant son (‘family maximizers’). Without Chinese grandparents being full-time carers for their grandchildren, migration certainly would be more difficult and perhaps impossible for many parents of young children in search of better employment opportunities, leading us to the conclusion that grandparents are the ‘unsung heroes’ of China's rapid economic expansion.
Nicola Amendola and Giacomo Gabbuti
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- March 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199944590
- eISBN:
- 9780190218850
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199944590.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Wellbeing is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon, encompassing factors such as income and wealth, longevity, health, and education, but also less tangible aspects. Each dimension adds a tile to ...
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Wellbeing is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon, encompassing factors such as income and wealth, longevity, health, and education, but also less tangible aspects. Each dimension adds a tile to the grand mosaic portraying the progress made by the Italians since the country was unified. These single stories, however, do not always concur with one another. How to join the various threads together? Is it possible to summarize the complex picture and to clearly reconstruct the dynamics of the wellbeing of the Italians? The chapter seeks the answer in the Human Development Index, a simple arithmetical mean of three elementary indicators: average income, life expectancy at birth, and average schooling. The HDI delivers a number of novel lessons, but the overall conclusion is that the use of indicators such as the HDI in economic history is a false lead that does not solve the problem of a summary measure of wellbeing.Less
Wellbeing is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon, encompassing factors such as income and wealth, longevity, health, and education, but also less tangible aspects. Each dimension adds a tile to the grand mosaic portraying the progress made by the Italians since the country was unified. These single stories, however, do not always concur with one another. How to join the various threads together? Is it possible to summarize the complex picture and to clearly reconstruct the dynamics of the wellbeing of the Italians? The chapter seeks the answer in the Human Development Index, a simple arithmetical mean of three elementary indicators: average income, life expectancy at birth, and average schooling. The HDI delivers a number of novel lessons, but the overall conclusion is that the use of indicators such as the HDI in economic history is a false lead that does not solve the problem of a summary measure of wellbeing.
